Bella’s parents noticed one day that she seemed incredibly uncomfortable, was drooling, not eating, and was very needy and wanted to be on her mom’s lap the whole time. They thought she had eaten something that she shouldn’t have, and could have had a blockage. They decided they would take Bella to the vet. While they were on their way, they noticed her slobber was getting out of control, and she just didn't want to move. While at the vet's office, they discovered that Bella didn’t have a blockage, she had cheat grass lodged in her throat.

For those who don’t know, cheat grass is a hairy, or bristle-like, limb on many types of grasses—some people call them awns, mean seeds, timothy, foxtails, or June grass, among others. These spikes and sharp edges stick and hold onto surfaces so that the seeds can spread to surrounding areas. Unfortunately, those sharp ends allow the cheat grass to penetrate into and through the skin of a dog. Cheat grass can be inhaled, become lodged in the ears, swallowed, or even just embedded in the coat or skin. It is when they are not quickly removed that they can become a problem.

According to PetMD, embedded cheat grass can cause abscesses, discharge, swelling, pain, and even death. If you see cheat grass in your dog’s coat, be sure to pick them out by hand or brush their coat. If you see cheat grass in your dog’s nose or eye, you should take them to the vet immediately. Check out this PetMD article and video, Can grass kill your dog, for more information.

Bella’s dad was laid off for the third time this year, her mom is self-employed in the oil field and her hours have been limited, so they were concerned they wouldn’t be able to pay for a possible surgery. That’s when they reached out to Fur Kids Foundation for help with Bella's emergency vet bills. The cheat grass had irritated Bella’s throat and caused major discomfort, but thankfully her parents caught it and took her to the vet right away. We’re happy to report that she’s well on her way to recovery.

Fur Kids Foundation is grateful for the dedication of our volunteers and supporters who have helped local families stay happy and healthy, and together! If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families in Campbell County, Wyoming with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

Meet Scout, a 2-year-old mixed breed pup who wasn’t feeling up to snuff. Poor Scout’s belly was upset—he was vomiting and acting very sluggish, which had his mom very concerned.

​She rushed him to the vet after regular business hours, and the vet was concerned that poor Scout had a blockage in his stomach or intestines. If a dog has a gastrointestinal obstruction (aka a blockage), they may show the following signs:• Abdominal tenderness or pain• Biting or growling when picked up• Bloating • Constipation or straining while going poop• Diarrhea• Lack of appetite• Sluggish and depressed • Vomiting

Blockages are quite common in dogs because they aren’t very discriminating about what they eat! Unfortunately, blockages can be life threatening as they cause food, fluids and other bodily functions to accumulate in the stomach/small intestines. These blockages can cause the tissue to die, which can then lead to a painful and dangerous condition called sepsis, which means there is bacteria in the blood or other tissues when there shouldn’t be. All of this really means that if you suspect your pooch has a blockage, you need to get them to your vet immediately just like Scout’s mom did.

While Scout was at the vet, he had some x-rays done, and luckily they showed that Scout didn't show any signs of a having a blockage, so he was given some medicine to help ease his belly.

Scout’s mom says he’s been a positive support in their home since her husband passed away in 2015, and she couldn’t imagine anything happening to him. Since she is a single mother, she knew she couldn't pay the bill, and we were happy to help. Luckily Scout just had an upset belly and nothing more serious. He’s on the mend now, and giving his family lots of lovin’s.

Fur Kids Foundation is grateful for the dedication of our volunteers and supporters who have helped local families stay happy and healthy, and together! If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families in Campbell County, Wyoming with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

A special thanks to Doug and Crystal Ninas in Gillette, Wyoming for purchasing the 4-wheeler! Your support will allow Fur Kids Foundation to help local families with pets with emergency veterinary care! We appreciate your support!

A wonderful supporter donated this ATV to Fur Kids Foundation to help raise money so we can continue to help families pay for unexpected veterinary care. This is in fantastic shape and really is a great deal. Check out the details below:

2014 Honda Rubicon

Very well kept. Always parked inside when not being used. ATV was used strictly to pull a mower, has never seen a trail.

Was licensed for the road, so it has a mirror and has a horn that hasn't been installed.

Used for 207.5 hours

883 miles on it

NADA books at $6,655. Asking $6,600 or reasonable offer. Remember: Funds from the sale will go to Fur Kids Foundation, a local non-profit organization that helps families in Campbell County with unexpected veterinary costs.

The machine is located in Gillette, Wyoming, and the purchaser will have to pick it up. If you're interested in looking at it, or making an offer, please contact us.

Fur Kids Foundation, with support from Campbell County and the City of Gillette, is hosting a Pooch Plunge so you can watch your pups have a blast plunging into the water.

Bring your dog to the Gillette City Pool, 909 S. Gillette Avenue, on Saturday, August 26. This year, the Foundation is holding two sessions at the Pooch Plunge: 10-11:30 pm and 12-1:30 pm. Cost is $5 per dog per session, humans get in free. Handlers/owners are limited to two dogs; if you have four dogs, you must have two handlers.

Humans will not be allowed to play in the pool with their pups. Participants are asked to only bring dogs who are people and dog friendly to the event, and to keep control of their dog at all times. Registration will be taken the day of the event, but attendees may register online at www.furkidsfoundation.org/pooch-plunge.html.

Fur Kids Foundation is the only organization in Northeastern Wyoming that provides families with pets access to emergency veterinary care when they cannot afford it. The Foundation will also host its signature event, Pet-A-Palooza, on September 9 at CAM-PLEX Park Shelter No. 5 starting at 10 am. The all-day pet festival features Pawject Runway, the Small Dog Showdown, agility and other pet focused events, as well as silent auction tables, and pet-related products and services, and more.

About Fur Kids FoundationCreated in November 2011, the Fur Kids Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides education and aid to promote the well-being of families with animals in Campbell County, Wyoming. Since September 2012, Fur Kids Foundation has helped 428 families and granted more than $67,400 in aid. For more information, visit www.furkidsfoundation.org. Find us on www.facebook.com/furkidsfoundation. Follow us on Twitter, @furkidswyo. Read our blog.

Fur Kids Foundation has been nominated for a Campbell County Healthcare Foundation Outstanding Healthcare Award! For those who don’t know, this award honors those who have made a significant impact in the community through leadership, community service, professional development and dedication.

"We are so honored to be considered for this prestigious award, and are grateful for the kind and generous community that has embraced our mission," says Mary Melaragno, Fur Kids Foundation President and Founder.

Created in November 2011, the Fur Kids Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides education and aid to promote the well-being of families with animals in Campbell County, Wyoming. In 2013, Fur Kids Foundation was recognized as an American Red Cross Hometown Hero, you can read about that here.

Nominees are recognized and honored during the 12th Annual Black Cat Ball, which will take place on Saturday, September 23, at CAM-PLEX. The Fur Kids Foundation board invites you to consider attending with us. Tickets are $150 per person, and can be purchased by contacting Nachelle McGrath at 307.688.6235 or nachelle.mcgrath@cchwyo.org.

For those who don't know, the Campbell County Healthcare Foundation (CCHCF) began in 1975 after a group of community leaders came together to discuss funding the education of young people interested in healthcare careers. Since then, the CCHCF has contributed more than $2,000,000 in scholarships and grants to people and projects throughout our communities. It is the umbrella organization for the following: • Festival of Trees fundraising committee• The Legacy Advisory Board for The Legacy Living & Rehabilitation Center• Hospice Advisory Board• Close to Home Hospice Hospitality House• Cancer Care Committee• Sports Screening Committee• Scholarship Committee• VIP Project (Vaccine for Influenza Prevention) committeeYou can learn more about the CCHCF at www.cchcf.com.

Fur Kids Foundation Pet-A-Palooza Top Dog Sponsor Red Hills Veterinary Hospital is running a Booster T-shirt Campaign to help raise money for local families who need help with emergency veterinary care for their pets.

​In July 2017, Fur Kids Foundation had eight families apply for assistance, and we were able to help five of those families—for a total of $1,880.41 given in aid. In 2017, we have given $9,273.21 to families in Campbell County, Wyoming to pay for emergency veterinary care. Below is a rundown of the cases we provided assistance to in July:

To learn more about our application process, please check out our Application for Assistance, and be sure to check out our Terms of Assistance near the bottom of the application. You may also call and speak with any of our Case Managers about the process at 307.363.1131 or email furkidsfoundation@gmail.com.

We are grateful for the dedication of Fur Kids Foundation volunteers and supporters who have helped these families stay happy and healthy, and together! When you volunteer, attend an event, or help us raise money by supporting the businesses that support us with promotions, these families and pets are who you are helping. Thank you again for all that you do for the Foundation, and for families with pets in Campbell County, Wyoming.

Please take a minute to check out our Success Stories and read more about the families with pets that we help. The Fur Kids Foundation board of directors work very hard to make sure that the majority of the money we raise helps local families; in 2016, more than 75% of the money we have raised was spent on emergency veterinary care. Please consider a donation to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families stay healthy and happy in Campbell County, Wyoming.

The Fur Kids Foundation board of directors want to give a huge shout out to Joanne Engelhaupt as the July 2017 Volunteer of the Month!

Joanne is no stranger to the volunteer of the month recognition – she was highlighted in April for helping us with the Fast and the FURriest Fun Walk. Joanne has done a lot for Fur Kids Foundation over the years. Joanne is the owner of The Rusty Bucket and has been a vendor at our Ladies Night Out events with her wonderful products (including amazing goat's milk soap!), as well as making the caramel apples that we sold for a successful fundraiser (and even donated some to a booth we had at Wright Days). She also donates gift certificates from The Rusty Bucket for Pet-A-Palooza, chaired our very successful Watermelon Eating Contest (which she organized with the Campbell County Fair Board as well) and always shares our posts and events with her friends and family on Facebook. You can like her page on Facebook to stay up-to-date with all that The Rusty Bucket offers.

We love it when our volunteers create fundraisers that help us raise money to help Campbell County, Wyoming families with emergency veterinary care. Joanne, thank you so much for volunteering with Fur Kids Foundation. Thank you for joining our pack!

Did you know that Fur Kids Foundation is a 100% volunteer ran organization? We're able to help sweet animals and their families because of the dedication of our volunteers who plan and work fundraisers, promote the organization and support our community. Our volunteers are our heroes. If you are interested in learning how you can help us help more animals in Campbell County, Wyoming, please complete our application online or email Fur Kids Foundation at volunteerfkf@gmail.com.

Thank you to everyone who came out to Fur Kids Foundation’s first Watermelon Eating Contest on Saturday, August 5. We had 23 people register for the contest—raising $230 to help Campbell County Wyoming families with emergency veterinary care! Below are the winners of the contest in their age category:

The Fur Kids Foundation board wants to give a HUGE thank you to volunteer Joanne Engelhaupt for working with the Campbell County Fair Board for many months to arrange the Watermelon Eating Contest, as well as chairing the committee of volunteers tasked with putting together the event. And thank you to the committee of volunteers who helped make this successful: Fawna Sylvester Bartow, Crystal Ninas and Laura Miller. A big thank you to those volunteers who helped at the event: Jill Matson and her daughter Abbie, Fawna Sylvester Bartow, Daiton Bartow, Donna Lhotak-Crippen and Tiffany R. Sylvester.

“Yesterday was so much fun! Watching the youngest category was my favorite category, those little kids DESTROYED those watermelons,” says FKF board president Mary Melaragno.

Thank you again for supporting Fur Kids Foundation in this new event – we sure hope to make it happen again in 2018.

Did you know that Fur Kids Foundation is a 100% volunteer ran organization? We're able to help sweet animals and their families because of the dedication of our volunteers who plan and work fundraisers, promote the organization and support our community. Our volunteers are our heroes. If you are interested in learning how you can help us help more animals in Campbell County, Wyoming, please complete our application online or email Fur Kids Foundation at volunteerfkf@gmail.com.

Created in November 2011, the Fur Kids Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides education and aid to promote the well-being of animals in Campbell County.

Your donation saves lives. It goes to work helping animals in Campbell County receive adequate veterinary care during a time when their family may not be able to afford it. Please contact the Foundation to learn more or donate now using PayPal.

Author

The Fur Kids Foundation blog is written by board member and Founder Felicia. If you have ideas that you would like to see published in the blog such as concerns about pet-focused topics in the community or a funny story, please contact the Foundation. Enjoy!